DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip. Israeli airstrikes killed at least 85 Palestinians in Gaza on Tuesday, according to local health officials, as Israel pressed forward with its renewed military campaign amid intensifying international outcry. The Israeli government also announced it had allowed dozens of trucks carrying humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave.
Despite these deliveries, the United Nations reports that the critical supplies have yet to reach the majority of Gaza’s 2 million residents, many of whom are on the brink of famine after nearly three months under an Israeli blockade.
Israel agreed this week to permit what officials described as a “minimal” amount of aid into the Palestinian territory. The decision followed increasing diplomatic pressure and harrowing images of widespread hunger and suffering in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted he allowed limited aid to enter following appeals from allies, who warned they could no longer support Israel while the humanitarian crisis intensified.
“I decided to allow a minimal amount of humanitarian aid into Gaza after our friends made it clear they couldn’t back us while these images of starvation were coming out,” Netanyahu reportedly said.
However, the process of aid distribution remains severely hindered. According to U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, although aid trucks have entered Gaza, they have not reached the distribution centers where supplies are urgently needed. Israeli military procedures reportedly required aid workers to unload and reload the cargo onto different trucks, consuming valuable time and resources.
“The security clearance process is long, complex, complicated and dangerous,” Dujarric said, adding that the logistical hurdles are significantly delaying efforts to get life-saving aid to civilians.
COGAT, the Israeli defense body that coordinates aid to Gaza, reported that five trucks entered on Monday and 93 on Tuesday. However, the U.N. confirmed only a few dozen trucks made it into Gaza on Tuesday.
The shipments included flour for bakeries, food for soup kitchens, baby food, and medical supplies. The U.N. humanitarian agency is prioritizing baby formula in the initial consignments. Yet, none of the aid has been distributed to residents, Dujarric confirmed.
Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said that while 100 trucks were approved to enter, the number falls far short of the 600 trucks that passed daily during the previous ceasefire, which ended in March.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry indicated that more trucks are expected to enter Gaza in the coming days, though no commitment has been made to return to previous aid levels.
As the conflict grinds on and humanitarian conditions deteriorate further, the gap between aid arrival and actual distribution remains a growing concern among international agencies.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
